Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts Short-Term Rental Market
Buzzards Bay STRs averaged $387/night at 45.3% occupancy in April 2026, with summer peaks reaching 78.7% occupancy and $510 ADR.
Quick Answer: Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 45%. average monthly revenue is $3,416. average daily rate is $387. the top operator is Vacasa with 649 listings. market score is 46/100 (grade D).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Buzzards Bay sits at the entrance to Cape Cod, connected via the Cape Cod Canal, drawing an estimated 3 million visitors per year to the canal’s 7-mile recreation trail. The short-term rental market here is large: approximately 13,460 active listings as of the latest snapshot, with 3-bedroom properties forming the largest bedroom segment (3,963 listings), followed by 2-bedroom (2,790), 4-bedroom (2,659), 1-bedroom (2,498), and 5-bedroom-plus (1,538) units.
In April 2026, average daily rate across all listings reached $387 at 45.3% occupancy, producing RevPAR of $175. Year-over-year, ADR is up 6.3% and revenue is up 15.6%, while occupancy slipped 2.3 percentage points. The market is strongly oriented toward entire-place rentals, which account for 12,836 of roughly 13,460 total listings (about 95%), with private rooms representing most of the remainder (623 listings). Platform distribution shows roughly equal presence on Airbnb and Vrbo, with 6,629 listings on both platforms simultaneously, 3,928 Airbnb-only, and 2,903 Vrbo-only.
Market scores from the latest snapshot reflect a highly seasonal destination: the revenue growth score is 89.9 out of 100, investability scores 60.1, and regulation scores 68.7, but seasonality scores only 45.7, reflecting the narrow summer peak that defines demand here.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30% | $323 | $2,771 |
| Feb | 42% | $314 | $2,925 |
| Mar | 42% | $301 | $2,854 |
| Apr | 48% | $306 | $2,857 |
| May | 51% | $349 | $3,159 |
| Jun | 67% | $437 | $5,738 |
| Jul | 77% | $479 | $8,414 |
| Aug | 79% | $510 | $9,291 |
| Sep | 45% | $401 | $4,880 |
| Oct | 34% | $322 | $3,242 |
| Nov | 31% | $316 | $2,650 |
| Dec | 33% | $353 | $2,988 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Buzzards Bay
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vacasa | 649 | 21,321 | ★ 4.51 |
| 2 | Del Mar Vacation Rentals | 398 | 18,661 | ★ 4.78 |
| 3 | Kinlin Grover Vacation Rentals | 352 | 1,817 | ★ 4.69 |
| 4 | New England Vacation Rentals | 277 | 1,581 | ★ 4.66 |
| 5 | Robert Paul Vacations | 190 | 1,836 | ★ 4.69 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Buzzards Bay?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 2,498 |
| 2 bed | 2,790 |
| 3 bed | 3,963 |
| 4 bed | 2,659 |
| 5 bed | 1,538 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $396 |
| Luxury | $820 |
| Professionally Managed | $365 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $2,085 |
| Entire Place | $3,550 |
| House | $3,851 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 29.2% |
| vrbo | 21.6% |
| both | 49.2% |
Investment Analysis
Buzzards Bay’s investment case is anchored by strong summer revenue and a straightforward regulatory environment. At April 2026’s $387 ADR and 45.3% occupancy, an average listing generates approximately $3,416 per month. Annualized, that is roughly $41,000 in gross revenue per listing, a figure that climbs substantially for peak-season-heavy properties.
The tier spread is notable: luxury listings average $820/night versus $365/night for professionally managed and $396/night for entire-home listings overall. This gap of $455/night between luxury and professionally managed properties indicates meaningful upside in the upper tier for operators willing to invest in high-specification inventory.
No housing valuation data was available in the current snapshot, so gross yield cannot be computed here. Investors should independently source current Barnstable County property values when modeling entry costs. The revenue growth score of 89.9 and positive ADR trend of 6.3% year-over-year are favorable signals, while the occupancy dip of 2.3 percentage points year-over-year warrants attention. Entire-place listings average $3,550/month versus $2,085 for apartments and $3,851 for houses, suggesting single-family homes outperform other property types in this market.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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The average booking lead time in Buzzards Bay is 58.5 days, with an average length of stay of 3.5 nights. These figures carry practical implications for pricing and operations.
At nearly two months lead time, operators have a meaningful window to adjust pricing before arrival. Listings that implement dynamic pricing with rate escalations as the arrival date approaches can capture demand from last-minute bookers who tend to be less price-sensitive in a high-demand coastal market. The 3.5-night average stay suggests that most guests are booking weekend or long-weekend trips rather than full-week or multi-week stays, consistent with Buzzards Bay’s role as a gateway and recreational base rather than a classic week-long Cape Cod beach vacation destination.
Higher turnover from shorter stays increases cleaning and operational costs. Operators should factor per-stay fees and minimum-stay requirements into pricing to protect margins during shoulder months when occupancy is below 50%.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Short-term rentals are legal throughout the Town of Bourne (which includes Buzzards Bay). There is no local STR registration or permit program at the town level. The primary compliance requirement is state-level registration with the Massachusetts Department of Revenue via MassTaxConnect, required for rentals of 31 nights or fewer.
The total lodging tax in Bourne is 14.45%, composed of 5.7% state room occupancy excise, 6.0% Bourne local option excise, and 2.75% Cape Cod and Islands Water Protection Fund excise. Platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo generally collect and remit these taxes on behalf of hosts.
There is no owner-occupancy requirement, no primary-residence requirement, and no cap on rental nights for standard dwelling units. The notable restriction applies to Accessory Dwelling Units: Bourne’s zoning bylaw prohibits ADUs from operating as short-term rentals and generally requires a minimum rental term of 90 days for ADUs. Standard building, fire, health, and habitability codes apply to all rental units.
Enforcement at the local level is described as minimal compared to higher-tourism Cape Cod towns. No Bourne-specific STR ordinance changes were confirmed in recent sources, though the statewide registration requirement has been in effect since July 2019. Operators should confirm current rules with the Bourne Health and Building Departments, as Cape Cod municipalities have been actively reviewing STR policies.
Market Comparison
At $387 ADR and 45.3% occupancy, Buzzards Bay sits well above national STR medians (approximately $220 ADR and 55% occupancy nationally) on rate but below the national median on occupancy. The ADR premium reflects the coastal Cape Cod location and the area’s status as a high-demand summer destination.
RevPAR of $175 is competitive for a Northeast coastal market with this degree of seasonality. The revenue growth score of 89.9 out of 100 places Buzzards Bay in the top tier nationally for revenue trajectory, and ADR growth of 6.3% year-over-year confirms the premium rate trend is intact.
Vacasa leads the local professional management market with 649 listings and 21,321 reviews (4.51 average rating), representing roughly 4.8% of total market listings. Del Mar Vacation Rentals follows with 398 listings and 18,661 reviews (4.78 rating). Kinlin Grover Vacation Rentals holds 352 listings (4.69 rating), New England Vacation Rentals manages 277 listings (4.66 rating), and Robert Paul Vacations rounds out the top five with 190 listings (4.69 rating). The top five operators together account for approximately 1,866 listings, roughly 13.9% of market inventory, indicating a fragmented market where independent operators hold the majority of supply.
Frequently Asked Questions About Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts
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